Sealing element for valves



Nov. 30, 1948.

A. L. PARKER SEALING ELEMENT FOR VALVES 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1 Filed July 27, 1943 Filed July 27, 1945 'Nov.30,1948. A, L, PARKER x 1 2,455,087

SEALING ELEMENT VFOR- VALVES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patentecl Nov. 30, 1948 UNITED PATENT @FEPCE Arthur, L. Barker... Cleveland',l Ohio, assignor to. The Parker Appliance Company, Cleveland; Ohio, a corporation: of 'Ohib Application'flulyzlt 194s; Serial No; 496;,3-13

3 Claims. (01. 251-40) The invention relates I generally to val-restructures wherein are. included a casing. having at least oneinlet portend at least one outlettport-,,. a valvewcha-mber' into; and from which a controlled. flow of fluid'is toibe: efiected;.anda valveelementv movable insaid chamber: for controlling;- said flowand" it primarily seeks to? provide a. noveliform 0t: sealing element forv engagingover said inlet port equipment and adapted: to accomplish its-sealing. function efficienth and-in-a. mannerpermitting: movement of the. valvefelementi withtatminimumof effort.

An object. oi the: invention. isto. provide. in. a: valve structure of the character stated a. novel form ofsealing element) movable with: a valve element which does. not: contact. with: the. wall of the-casing chamber in whichitmoves the:sealing elementlalone. having slide contactwith..-said iwa ll. and being, constructed and; arranged so that a; desired constant seating: pressure will. be applied. thereto regardless-of. the fluid; pressure acting, to. unseat the same.

Valve structuresv have been-provided heretofore. iii-which the movable; valve. elements have been spaced from the valve chamber'wa-llsand in which the port sealing is: efi'ected bysealing, elements which are hollow and have provisionrfor fluidto enter them and-tend tosbalanoe thefluid pressure atoppositesid'es of'said elements andthereby-provide for the desired port sealing; and yetpermit movement'of the valve elements-with aminimum of efiort: Such valve structures areshown in U. S; LettersrPatents 2;209,1:35' and 2:,314;5.12 is-- sued'to' A. L. Parkeron-July 23, 1-940 and March; 23', 194-3; respectively. It: isthe: purpose of the present invention, however,; to provide arrv im-' proved form of sealing; elementin' the nature of a self: containedunit comprising a valve chamberwall' engaging: plate; having a central; opening therethrough topermit passageof fluid under: pressure, a rubber-like resilient shell atta-ched; to said plate and forming an. expansible' and. con tractible" fluid pressure chamber over said plate opening; and 'spring' means tending'to expand. the" shell; chamber and press: said; plate; against. theopposing valve. chamber wall;

Another object of. the invention is to provide: a self contained:- seali'ngunit of the. character stated in whichthe; expansible; and: corrtractible shell. is dimensioned to.= present a greater pressure area directed toward. the valve seatingfportz than is presented against the unit: plate with'outi'said: chamber at a port covered thereby; thereby"to'-' cause the fluid pressure within the. unit chamber" to'augment the action of" the sprin'gzfin holding: said plate" against" its: seat;

With the above and otherobjects'in view that will hereinafter appear, thenature of "the inven' tion-will be more fully'underst'oodhy followingthe detaileddescription; theappendedclaimsand-the deliveredof the valve, structure.

tion-zof. another fiornnot valvefstructure embody ing" the: invention.

Figure 6*- isa: central vertical cross-section of" the valve: structure" illustrated; imli'igure. 5:

Figure 7. is at left end: elevation of the:- valve" structure;- illustratediin; Eigurezd, arportion: 0t the endclosure cap:- being broken away.

Figure: 8:is: an enlarged: fragmentary cross sectional'view illustrating-in detail ionei-of. the sealing:

units embodied in thei'va'lvestruzcture of- Figures 5;- -6 and Figure -9 isaplarr vieivofthe sealingrunitzshownin' Figure 82' Figures 10 and I1 illustratein faceand edge; view respectively thevdetentming employed in the valve structure of Figures 5 tafl. I

In the exampleof embodiment-of inventiorrdisclosed in Figures- 1 toce'there is included 3 the carsing" or shell" 5 having a-valve chamber" The casing" is 'equippedwith' an outlet 't'through which fluid is to he delivered' from a selected one of a plurality of sources as will hereinafter loecorne apparent;

Theval'vecha'mher 6 is closed by a flat wall plate 8 whichlis removahly-secured to the casing or shell: 51', and? the wall plate 8" is equipped with three inlet ports. 9. which' extend through" the plate into the. valvevchambert. Each'of' the ports: 9' communicates. with an individual inlet illustrated in Figures land 2. Each-of the units is adapt-edtube-connected. with. a liquidLfuel" supplytank. or other suitable individual sources of; supply from; which. fluid? is to be. selectively v toand: throughthe previously mentloned outlet:= 1-.

A mounting? plate H is: secured; to the: wall; plate? I- imthevmanner'clearlwillustrated in-Fi'gure. 1 sot-that the-valve-unitcan "be-suitably anchored foruse.

bearingiseat; I52 isprovidedrinthe upper-sun fa'ceiofithewall:platezaianch provides a 'bearin'gzfbrf one end: of a: valveist'ema shaft. t3. on: which: is

secured 'a-vaive elemeht'onroton l l' :asdaptedtoshe: swung about witliimthe vazlve chambers- 62 foresee plan View of the: sealing three. being shown. in. the form of valvelecting the particular inlet port 9 which is to serve fluid to the outlet 1. s

The other or upper end of the'valve stem or shaft l3 passes through a packed gland l5 and is adapted to have a suitable form of turning 81 ment attached thereto.

An annular recess is surrounding the gland I5 and serves as a mount ing for a compression spring" whichjis' effective to yieldably press plate l8 against the detent ring I9 which is attached to the rotor H. The detent equipments i8, i9 serve in the manner well known in the art to retain the rotor in the inlet or feeder port selecting positions to which it is moved.

The undersurface of the rotor M is provided with three pockets or recesses 2D, and each recess is counterbored as at 2| to'slidably receive the sealing disk 22 of a sealing unit such as is illustrated in detail in Figures 3 and 4. Each sealing unit removably mounted in one of the' recesses in the rotor as illustrated inFigure 1 serves to effectively seal one of the feeder or inletports 9 when positioned thereover; and it will be observed by reference to Figurel'of the drawings that the disks 22 alone contact the wall plate 8, the rotor l4 b'eing entirely out of contact with the valve casingstructure; It will be observed'by reference to Figure '3 of the drawings that each sealing disk 22 is provided with a bottom face recess 23 and a centralaperture 24. Each disk preferably is formed of non-metallic or composition'material and includesan upper surface recess'25 for receiving a base ring portion 28 of a hollow, integralfdeformable and resilient shell 21, preferably of rubber or a suitable substitute, said base ring portion 26 being bonded to the respective disk in a manner for forming a sealed pressure chamber above said disk 22 and having inlet and outlet through the respective center aperture 24. When the sealing units are mounted in the valve structure the rubber-shell 21 of each unit proiectsup into oneofthe-receiving recesses in the;rotor l4. A plunger member 28 engages the upper surface of and within each rubber shell 21, andt each plunger head includes a depending plunger 29v A compression spring is interposed between each disk 22 and the overlying plunger head 28 and yieldably urges the rubber shell 21 to its extended position illustrated in Figure 3., It is to be understood that Figure 3 illustrates the extended condition of the sealing unit and that .in this extended condition the depth of the sealing unit is greater than the space. in which it is to be mounted in the manner illustrated in Figure Thus it will be apparent that when the sealing units are mounted as illustrated in Figure l they are under compressionand the disks 22 will be firmly pressed against the underlying surface of thewallplate B, A Q

It will be apparent by'reference'to Figures 1' and 2 of the drawings that the rotor 1'4 canb e turned to uncover individual feeder or inletports 9 so as to render the multiple of ports selectively effective to supply fluid toand throughthe outlet 1. It will be apparent also thatwh'enever gj-sealing unit is registered over one of the inlet ports fluid under pressure will be admitted through the disk aperture 24 into the interior of the sealed cham'-' ber within the rubber shell -2'13 *Thdsurface within the rubber "shell against whichthe fluid exerts a downward pressure toward thewall plate 8 being greater than the undersurface of the disk 22 exposed to fluid pressure; through the port:9,.

formed inthe casing '5 the pin anchored detent,

I parts so as the pressure within the shell will augment the pressure of the spring 30 in effecting an efficient sealing contact of the disk with theupper surface of the wall plate 8. While it is preferred that .the pressure within the shell shall overbalance the pressure without the shell and beneath the disk tending to unseat the same, it may be found desirable in some installations to dimension the to balance these pressures, in which case only the spring pressure, or the resiliency of the shell in cases in which no spring is pro- I 'vided, is effective to seat the disk. A balanced pressure such as this is desirable in some instances in that it provides for a uniform turning torque of the valve regardless of the extent of variation of fluid pressure in the valve.

In the example of embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 5 to 11 there is included a generally cylindrical casing or shell 3! having a, cylindriform valve chamber 32 and one open end thereof closed by a removable end cap 33 having a centrally disposed outlet 34. The other open end of the casing or shell 3! is closed by a removable end cap 35 through which pro- 3 j ects a valve stem or shaft 36, the latter being rotatably mounted in a sealed bearing 33' in said cap. The non-circular end 38 of the valve stem is adapted to receive any acceptable form of turning element. V a

The valve casing or shell is equipped with three inlet ports 39 each communicating between the valve chamber 32 and a removably mounted adapter inlet 40. As in the previously described form of valve, it is intended that the inlets 48 be connected with a plurality of liquid fuel tanks or other individual fluid sources and that the valve be equipped to selectively deliver fluid from said sources to and through the single outlet 35.

A valve element or rotor M is rotatably mounted within the valve chamber 32, and this rotor is equipped with an elbow passage 42 for eifecting selective communication between the plurality of inlets 4E! and the single outlet 34 as above stated.

The valve element A l is provided with a hub 43 at one end which is secured to the end of the valve stem SBWhich extends into the valve chamber in the manner clearly illustrated in Figure 5. A bearing ring 4!; preferably formed of nonmetallic or composition material is press fitted on the hub 43' and is freely rotatable in a recess 45 provided therefor in the end closure cap 35.

The other end of the rotor 4| also is provided with a hub or boss 45 on which another nonmetallic bearing ring 4'! is press fitted, said ring being freely rotatable in the recess 18 provided therefor in the end closure cap 33. The stem endof the rotor 4| also has secured thereto a detent ring 49 having four equidistantly spaced recesses 50 formed in the edge thereof in the man ner clearly illustrated in Figures 5, 7, 10 and 11 of the drawings. The detent ring 49 is yieldingly engaged by spring pressed balls or detents 5| which are mountedin pockets 52 provided in a cross boss 53 on the cap 35. See Figures 5 and '7.

" It'will be obvious that the detent equipments 5!,

- may be provided with end lugs 55 effective to serve as positioning stops engageable by any suitable turning handle which may be applied to the noncircular end portion 38 of the valve stem 36.

The valve rotor 41 is provided with three circular surface recesses 56 arranged; in the manner clearly illustrated in Figure 6 so that they may be simultaneously disposed to register with all three inlet ports 39, or moved to bring a selected one of the inlet ports 39 into communication with the outlet 34 through the elbow passage 42. Each recess t opens into a square face opening 5! disposed between the bearing ring 4'! and the detent ring 49 mounted at the respective ends of the rotor. Each square opening 51 serves as a slide guide for a square sealing plate 58 preferably formed of non-metallic or composition material and forming a part of a sealing unit such as is illustrated in detail in Figures 8 and 9. Each plate is provided with an arcuate outer surface for smoothly contacting the cylindrical inner surface of the valve casing or shell 3! in the manner clearly illustrated in Figures 5, 6 and 8, and said plate also includes straight sides 60 and straight ends 6| which are accurately guided in the receiving spaces provided therefor in the rotor 4| It will be observed by reference to Figures 5 and 8 of the drawings that each sealing unit plate is equipped with a central aperture 52 through which fluid pressure can pass from the registering inlet port 39 into the space above the respective sealing plate 58. The upper surface of each sealing plate is equipped with a surface recess 63 for receiving a base ring portion 64 of a hollow integral, deformable shell 65, preferably of rubber or a suitable substitute, and bonded to said plate in a manner for providing a sealed pressure chamber above the respective sealing plate 58 and having inlet and outlet communication through the respective plate aperture 62. Each deformable,

resilient shell 65 is received in one of the circular recesses 66 provided in the valve rotor 4|. A plunger head 66 opposes the upper extremity of each said shell 55, and a compression spring is interposed between each plunger head 66 and the underlying sealing plate 58. As was explained in connection with the sealing units employed in the valve structure of Figures 1 to 4, the sealing unit of Figure 8 is of a depth dimension greater than the space in which it is confined in the rotor and valve casing so as to place the unit under compression and cause the sealing plate 58 to be tightly pressed against the opposing cylindrical surface of the casing or shell 3 I.

It will also be observed that the surface within each sealing unit against which pressure of fluid admitted through the plate aperture 62 is exerted downwardly against the plate is greater than the area of surface exposed to fluid pressure through the registering port 30 and therefore the fluid pressure within the sealed chamber in the rubber shell will augment the action of the spring 61 in efficiently pressing the respective sealing plate 58 against its seat. As before stated, however, the parts may be dimensioned so as to balance the pressures tending respectively to seat and unseat the sealing plate so as to make the spring alone dominant to exert seatin pressure and provide for a uniform turning torque of the valve regardless of the extent of variation of fluid pressure in the valve.

It is of course to be understood that the details of structure and the arrangement of parts may be variously changed and modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A sealing unit for valve structures comprising a sealing member having an aperture therethrough and having an inner face and an outer sealing face, and a deformable resilient shell bonded to the inner face of said sealing member and forming a sealed chamber over the aperture, and spring means interposed between the sealing member and the shell within the sealed chamber and constantly tending to distend the shell, said spring means including a plunger head conforming generally to the shape of the shell portion remote from said sealing member.

2. In a valve, casing structure having an inlet and an outlet and including a wall at least in part defining a valve chamber and having a port therein adapted when uncovered to open communication between said inlet and outlet, a valve element shiftably mounted in said chamber, and a sealing unit movable with said valve element for covering or uncovering said port, said sealing unit comprising a sealing member having an aperture therethrough and having an inner face and an outer sealing face, and a deformable resilient shell bonded to the inner face of said sealing member and forming a sealed chamber over the aperture, and spring means interposed between the sealing member and the shell within the sealed chamber and constantly tending to distend the shell, said spring means including a plunger head conforming generally to the shape of the shell portion remote from said sealing member.

3. In a valve, casing structure having an inlet and an outlet and including a wall at least in part defining a valve chamber and having a port therein adapted when uncovered to open communication between said inlet and outlet, a valve element shiftably mounted in said chamber, and a sealing unit movable with said valve element for covering o-r uncovering said port, said sealing unit comprising a sealing member having an aperture therethrough and having an inner face and an outer sealing face, and a deformable resilient shell bonded to the sealing member in a recess in the inner face of said sealing member and forming a sealed chamber over the aperture, and spring means interposed between the sealing member and the shell Within the sealed chamber and constantly tending to distend the shell, said spring means including a plunger'head conforming generally to the shape of the shell portion remote from said sealing member, and said valve element having a recess therein in which said sealing unit is removably mounted and comprising a large portion in which the sealing member has a snug sliding fit and a smaller portion in which the shell is confined against ballooning.

ARTHUR L. PARKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 313,080 Kaiser Mar. 3, 1885 909,400 Guthrie Jan. 12, 1909 1,776,288 Livingston Sept. 23, 1930 2,209,134 Parker July 23, 1940 2,209,135 Parker July 23, 1940 2,314,512 Parker Mar. 23, 1943 

